Troy Banning

Sports Editor

tbanning@freemanjournal.net

MADRID — It’s hard, perhaps even impossible, for anyone to look at a 69-0 loss in a positive light, but for whatever reason it lit a fire under the South Hamilton football team that still burns a year later.

The journey came full circle on Friday, what could be called redemption night.

With clear memories of that 69-point loss to Madrid a season ago, South Hamilton returned the favor and delivered its own spanking to the Tigers on their home field. Logan Klemp accounted for 279 yards of offense, three touchdowns and, oh yeah, 12 tackles to power the Hawks to a 42-13 rout.

South Hamilton (5-1, 3-1 Class 1A District 6), which continues to control its own state playoffs destiny as the regular season begins the backstretch, is 8-1 since that 2016 loss to Madrid. Hawks’ head coach Corey Klemp says he’s not quite ready to see that setback as anything but a miserable homecoming performance, but he admits it did help his players turn the corner.

“Situations like last year, they definitely draw a line in the sand of what your character is,” Coach Klemp said. “It’s time to either roll over and you’re done, or it’s time to get back up and fight. We’ve now gone through a full district cycle in a sense and the kids have really bought in. You can see they finally feel like we’re here.”

South Hamilton running back DJ Klonglan (22) attempts to break through a tackle as Hawks’ linemen Garrett Grady (66), Cade Balvanz (58) and Teagan Risetter (50) watch after making their blocks during Friday’s 42-13 rout of Madrid. DFJ photo/Tracy Runneberg

And just like last year, Friday’s game was a mismatch.

South Hamilton put the shackles on Madrid and didn’t allow a first down until the lead was 35-0 late in the third quarter. The Tigers (2-4, 2-2) put up just 153 yards of offense and all 87 of their yards through the air came after the game was no longer in doubt.

In addition to Logan Klemp’s one-man defensive wrecking crew, Jared Ullestad and Sam Lewis recovered fumbles and Cole Berg came up with an interception. Lewis finished with 31⁄2 tackles, while Mateo Balderas and Grant Evans had four each.

“It was certainly a big win,” Coach Klemp said. “Last year, the way that went, we got our nose rubbed in it a little bit. We’re certainly not there in all fazes yet, but this is the week where we had the most going and it’s a good time for things to be clicking.”

Logan Klemp, an all-state linebacker and potential Division I college football player, did a little bit of everything on offense. He rushed 21 times for 175 yards and two touchdowns, had five receptions for 70 yards and threw a 34-yard touchdown. He averaged 10.3 yards per touch.

“We knew we were probably going to have to lean on him just because we had some guys banged up, and he’s as healthy as he’s ever been in a Week 6 game,” Coach Klemp said of his son. “But anything he or anybody does is a product of the 11 (players) on the field and he’d be the first to tell you that.”

Quarterback Marco Balderas proved that South Hamilton can be more than a one-dimensional running team, as he completed 8 of 10 passes for 87 yards. Cole Berg had two grabs for 44 yards, one a 34-yard strike from Logan Klemp on a halfback pass in the third quarter.

“We didn’t have to use it Friday, but we felt like it was time that we had to get out there and execute that,” Coach Klemp said of the passing game. “Marco really stepped up and he looked a lot more confident. He definitely executed it well.”

South Hamilton finished with 452 yards of offense, 331 of those on the ground. DJ Klonglan picked up 60 yards and a touchdown on nine totes. Brandyn Feighner had one long run for 38 yards, and Tanner Volkmann and Grant Evans churned out 27 and 21 yards, respectively.

A pair of Logan Klemp first-half touchdown runs — they covered six and one yard — gave South Hamilton a 14-0 lead at the break.

Logan Klemp busts through tackles to pick up additional yards against Madrid on Friday. He put up 279 yards of total offense. DFJ photo/Tracy Runneberg

Klonglan made it 21-0 early in the third quarter courtesy of a 10-yard scoring sprint. One play after a Madrid fumble, the margin increased to 28-0 on the trick play from Logan Klemp to Berg. Volkmann added a 5-yard touchdown run with 37 seconds left in the third quarter to start the running clock.

Logan Klemp capped his night by ripping through the Tigers’ defense for a 31-yard touchdown gallop. He then kicked his sixth and final extra point with 8:05 remaining.

Madrid finally got on the scoreboard early in the fourth period on a Cole Shannon 5-yard run. Bryce Dean added a 2-yard touchdown plunge with 3 minutes left on the clock.

South Hamilton will celebrate homecoming this week, culminating with a district game against Ogden Friday night at Taylor Field. Although it may appear that the Hawks are in a comfortable position with three games remaining, Corey Klemp says it will only get harder going forward.

“This is where it gets really hard because now you’re playing against expectations, too,” he said. “There are no gimmes the rest of the way.”